Substance Abuse

The Facts on Substance Abuse in America

Substances/drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. There are at least two ways that drugs cause this disruption: (1) by imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers and (2) by over stimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain. (National Institute of on Drug Abuse).

The facts:

Estimates of the total overall costs of substance abuse in the United States exceed $600 billion annually. $193 billion for illicit drugs, $193 billion for tobacco, and $235 billion for alcohol (National Drug Intelligence Center (2011).

By the twelfth grade, about half of adolescents have abused an illicit drug at least once, the most commonly used drug is marijuana. (Monitoring the Future 2014)

According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), illicit drug use in the United States has risen to its highest level in eight years.

An estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for reasons other than those they were originally prescribed for. (National Library of Medicine).

Children who learn about the risk of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs than those who are not taught about the dangers

Substance Abuse Sites & Recources

Substance Abuse Related News

Seen in: The Daily Gazzette Story by: Ned Campbell Link to full article: https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/08/31/what-s-happening-thursday-aug-31 SARATOGA SPRINGS AND SCHENECTADY — Death from a drug overdose is not a natural death. It’s whispered about. It generally isn’t reflected in an obituary, Maureen Provost said Thursday to a somber crowd at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs. “This can makeRead More

Story by: By Michael Howard Link to video coverage: http://www.twcnews.com/nys/capital-region/news/2017/05/10/opioid-epidemic-forum-looks-to-prevent-addiction.html An informational forum in South Glens Falls was aimed at educating families on opioid addiction, in hopes of saving lives. The forum was hosted by the Community Coalition for Family Wellness, a non-profit organization started in 2010 that aims to help anyone affected by addiction or violence. OfficialsRead More

April 13, 2017 Story by: Larry Goodwin Seen in: Saratoga Today Link to article: https://saratogatodaynewspaper.com/home/item/6395-county-leaders-united-to-fight-drug-addiction WILTON — With his laptop in hand on a recent Thursday evening, James Norton politely informed the Wilton Town Board about his group’s coordinated efforts to tackle opioid addiction in local communities. “If you have any questions as to howRead More